Aquatics Swimming History

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Former Australian swimming great Petria Thomas ended her illustrious Commonwealth Games career with five gold, one silver and one bronze.

It has been obligatory to hold Race Swimming at every Commonwealth Games. Over the years the Swimming program has changed considerably, with new events added almost every year. In 2002 events for Elite Athletes with a Disability (EAD) were included. The governing body for Swimming in Australia is Swimming Australia Limited.

In Previous Games

Former world champion Ian Thorpe picked up five gold and one silver medal, while the since-retired Petria Thomas ended her Commonwealth Games career with five gold, one silver and one bronze. South African swimmer Natalie Du Toit created history when she won not only her events in the newly-included EAD competition, but also made the final of the 800m Freestyle able-bodied event despite missing the lower section of her left leg.

At Melbourne 2006

All Aquatic events will be held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) in Albert Park the venue that will also play host to the Table Tennis and Squash.

The Diving will be well compensated with a 25m indoor diving pool, complete with a 14-board Olympic-standard diving tower. The tower comprises of seven springboards and platforms at 1m, 3m, 5m, 7m and 10m, as well as two half-metre training boards.

Since opening in July 1997, the old MSAC pool has held the Australian Short Course Championships, the Australian Open Championships, the Telstra FINA World Cup, and the 1998 Commonwealth Games Selection Trials.

Recently, a new 50m Outdoor Pool built specifically for the Commonwealth Games was road- tested at the 2006 Australian Swimming Trials. The permanent 10-lane pool, worth over $50 million, was dubbed to be "very fast" by many who competed, and boasts state-of-the-art technology for conducting world class events such as the Commonwealth Games.

The Synchronised Swimming will take place in the 25m indoor diving pool that MSAC has to offer. The pool will provide the necessary 3m depth for this level of competition.

What's New

Synchronised Diving will be introduced to the Commonwealth Games for the first time in Melbourne. Competitors will vie for medals in both the 3m Springboard and the 10m Platform Synchronised events.